The present invention relates to a method and a composition for preventing or reducing dental caries by inhibiting the growth of Streptococcus mutans in the oral cavity.
Foods containing fermentable carbohydrates such as mono-, di-, and polysaccharides, have long been recognized as a major contributing cause of dental caries. These carbohydrates have, in particular, been associated with the initiation of dental caries especially since they are an easily utilizable source of nutrition for bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans found in the oral cavity, which bacteria is primarily responsible for the formation of plaques on the surface of the teeth.
S. mutans is generally recognized as the most cariogenic oral bacteria because of its ability to adhere to and colonize on enamel surfaces through formation of a dextran matrix, especially in the presence of sucrose. In this way the S. mutans is firmly affixed adjacent the surface of teeth in which location fermentation of carbohydrates leads to the formation of organic acid and, in particular, lactic acid which can solubilize components of the tooth enamel.
In an effort to reduce incidence of tooth decay, artificial sweeteners, such as saccharin salts and cyclamate salts have been employed as substitutes for natural sweeteners in many foods. The use of non-fermentable carbohydrates such as polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol have also been employed either alone or in combination with artificial sweeteners in place of natural sweeteners in chewing gums and confections. However, these non-sugar bulking agents have been found to be inferior in sweetness to the mono- and disaccharides normally used.
It has been found that the use of saccharin material in foods, confections, chewing gum, beverages and the like as a substitute for fermentable carbohydrates or in combination with sugars and/or polyhydric alcohols provides an especially effective means to prevent and inhibit tooth decay. The saccharin material has been found to inhibit growth of strains of S. mutans, generally recognized to be the most virulent of the cariogenic bacteria. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,045 to Mackay, et al.
Sodium saccharin is inert to metabolism by oral microorganisms and possesses the desired organoleptic property of sweetness, thereby satisfying the criteria for an artificial sweetener. In addition to its value as an artificial sweetener, recent studies have demonstrated that sodium saccharin at concentrations greater than 0.2% (by weight) also possesses inhibitory activities against various oral plaque-forming streptococci (Slee and Tanzer, 5th Ann. ADAHF Conf., 1981). (All percentages herein are by weight unless stated otherwise.)
The inhibitory effect of fluoride in compositions on the metabolism of cariogenic microorganisms in the oral cavity has often been demonstrated. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,877 to Tenta, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,700,012 and 2,627,493 to Merkel, et al. Although fluorides and saccharin individually are known inhibitors of bacterial growth in the oral cavity, it has been found that the combination of fluoride and saccharin is surprisingly effective in inhibiting the growth of S. mutans and other cariogenic bacteria when compared to the inhibitory effect of equal amounts of the individual components.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method and a composition for preventing or reducing dental caries by inhibiting the growth of S. mutans in the presence of fermentable carbohydrates in the oral cavity.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method for preventing or reducing dental caries by the normal consumption or use of confections and other food or cosmetic products especially chewing gum.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method and a composition for preventing or reducing dental caries utilizing a combination of saccharin and fluoride.
The achievement of these and other objects will be apparent from the following description of the subject invention.